It’s been said that a good catcher is one part linebacker Clay Matthews.

And one part quarterback Tom Brady.

Toughness and smarts are equally needed before putting on catching gear.

New Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro has both areas covered.

Matt Garza and Navarro had a mound disagreement with the Tampa Bay Rays on a hot afternoon with three digit temperatures on June 8, 2008, at Arlington, Tex.

German Duran, the Rangers’ No. 9 batter, had hit a two-run homer and Ian Kinsler had singled.

Navarro headed to the mound.

“Matt was high intensity, full-throttle. I went out to calm him down and he started chirping me, so I chirped him back,” said Navarro before Wednesday’s Jays game against the Houston Astros.

When the third out was recorded, the Rays battery went down the tunnel and “I swung at him, he swung at me.”

Battery and assault? Or assault by battery?

The dispute was interrupted by Rays teammates and the fact that Navarro was leading off.

“I went up, struck out, came back and we went at it again,” said Navarro.

And now?

“Matt Garza and I are best of friends. I’m sure he talked the Chicago Cubs into signing me last year,” said Navarro. “That day in Texas, it was more like an older brother and a younger brother having a brotherly spat.”

Navarro was making his sixth start behind the plate in the Jays’ ninth game on Wednesday. Catching two out of every three games ... that’s on pace for 108.

And that might be a difficult one to maintain. He has not started more than 100 games since 2009 with Tampa Bay (105). Since then, Navarro started 36 in 2010 with the Rays, 45 the next year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 16 with the Cincinnati Reds in 2012 and 53 last year with Garza and the Cubs. Plus, he’s made two starts in the Jays’ DH spot.

Navarro, who even stole his first base since 2009 during the seventh inning of Wednesday’s game, has earned the praise of pitchers and teammates alike, the highest coming from Jose Bautista who said in St. Pete’s after a second consecutive scoreless outing by a starter: “I’m really enjoying watching the chemistry developing between our new catcher and our starters.”

If that was a 100% compliment to Navarro or 50-50 (half jab at J.P. Arencibia) the catcher paid back Bautista on Tuesday. The Jays were up 2-1 with runners at first and second in the sixth inning. Reliever Josh Zeid picked Bautista off second. Navarro then hit his second double to score Edwin Encarnacion from first and a 3-1 lead.

Pitchers ERAs throwing to Navarro is 3.66 lowest amongst the team’s three catchers in a small sample size. Josh Thole, who has caught R.A. Dickey’s two starts, has a 3.86 pitchers ERA. Erik Kratz made one start (Drew Hutchison) and has a 6.75 ERA.

“Catchers sometimes need to tell you to get your act together,” said Casey Janssen. “You need to be reminded how important a pitch is. To compete. To focus. Even as a closer.”

Janssen said both Bengie Molina and Jose Molina were excellent linebacker-type leaders and he had praise for Arencibia, too.

Navarro has been impressed with his new group of starters.

“Hutchison is impressive the way he carries himself, and Buehrle ... ” said Navarro flashing a TV commercial smile. “Buehrle is outstanding. I’d heard that about how he never shook off a catcher — but I never believed it.

“We might be throwing the wrong pitch in a certain situation, but he throws the pitch with so much conviction, it becomes the right pitch.”

As a hitter, Navarro has faced both Brandon Morrow and Dustin McGowan. He now catches both and says they are healthy.

In 2001, the Chicago White Sox obtained Sandy Alomar, Jr., and every fifth day Buehrle took his turn in the rotation.

“I was in awe throwing to Sandy,” said Buehrle. “He was an all-star, I was a 22-year-old kid. That’s probably where seldom, if ever, shaking off a catcher came from. Like I know more than Sandy Alomar?”

After that, Buehrle threw to Charles Johnson and A.J. Pierzynski.

“A.J. was feisty, he’d call you out,” said Buehrle.

Buehrle was asked if he was worried about being asked to head down the tunnel by Navarro for a 1-on-1?